Memory
by The Water Drinker
Summary: She didn't know how it happened. She just woke up, and there she was.
1. Awakening

Her eyes were closed.

A woman was lying in cool grass, surrounded by overgrown foliage and twisted, aging trees. An autumn breeze drifted by. The leaves made soft rustling sounds.

Wet dew clung to her cold, bare skin. The light of the sun just barely peeked over the rim of the horizon. It cast a pale glow on the slick blades of grass.

She was lying there, straight and stiff. Her hands were by her sides with her legs out straight, slightly apart, as if she was deliberately placed. Her eyelids didn't stutter, her chest didn't rise. She was merely lying there. Like a child's discarded doll.

The forest's critters found her presence disturbing. Their eyes glimmered in the dim light as they stared at her. Squirrels, raccoons, and the like. Some dared get close. They prodded at her with tiny claws. They turned to each other, fluffing their tails and bickering. They weren't sure what to make of her.

Who knows how long she'd been lying there. The stiffness of her body might make one think she was dead. Though her skin was still pink.

The scene was surreal. Like a picture from a long-winded fairy tale. Nothing out of place. Not even a strand of hair.

And then suddenly, as if breaching the surface of an ocean after being submerged to the point of drowning, she inhaled.

Her eyes shot open and her chest heaved. Her back arched off the ground as she gasped for that first breath of air. The racoons and the squirrels scampered off in shock.

As soon as she breathed in, she began to cough. The deep gasp caused her to choke. She rolled over onto her side as she wheezed into the grass. It burned her lungs and made her eyes water.

Once the burning sensation in her throat subsided, she looked around. Her hands placed flat on the ground for support.

Her senses were dull, her mind was muddled. Everything she looked at was clouded over as if she were looking through a foggy mirror.

Nothing looked familiar.

Leaves and twigs clung to her hair, and she raised a hand to pluck one of them out. She examined it briefly before letting it fall from her hand.

Crickets chirped around her, and she lifted her hand quickly when she felt something under it move. A grasshopper jumped high with its newfound freedom. She held her hand close to her.

" _Hello?_ " she called out. Her voice was raspy and strained as if she hadn't spoken in years.

She lifted a hand to her throat as she coughed again, but recovered quicker this time. She brought her legs up close and leaned on one arm.

" _Hello?_ " she tried again, sounding slightly better than before. She still didn't get a response. It seemed she was alone in the dense forest she had found herself in. " _Is anybody here?_ "

She looked around once more. Everywhere she looked there were trees and shrubs. No discernable path or opening. She tried to think. Where was she? What happened? Had she somehow simply wandered off into a forest? There had to be some explanation. Her head began to ache.

She was about to call out again, at a loss as to what else to do, when a jolt of what felt like electricity shot through her head and made it ache to the point she doubled over from the pain. Her head hit the grass as brief flashes of images ran through her mind.

They weren't very detailed. Just short snippets. With the images came brief feelings, sounds, like laughter. There was somebody smiling, their face was bright and cheerful. Then, as suddenly as they came, they faded.

She let out a pained moan. After the splitting ache faded with the flashes, she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees.

She was panting. A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek from her temple. There was still a dull pain in her skull, and she raised a hand to touch the back of her head as she winced. As she did, she felt something wet and slick. When she pulled her hand away to look, she saw a dark red stain streaked across her fingertips. Her heart gave a thump.

"Somebody?" She called out more desperately. Her voice was still shrill, but her increasing anxiety made it stronger. "I… I think I need help…"

But nobody answered.

Fear and anxiousness pushed through to the forefront of her mind as the foggy confusion was pushed back. Her limbs felt heavy, but the emotions fueled them. She pushed herself up off the ground to stand. She stumbled from the momentum, and nearly tipped back over onto the ground, but managed to stable herself.

"I… I'm hurt…"

She looked down at herself. She looked unharmed. Her arms were covered in goosebumps. She shivered as she ran her hands over her skin. It didn't do her any favors when a breeze blew past her. She looked around at her surroundings from her new vantage point. As far as she could see, there were trees. Shrubbery and leaves covered the ground. The endless shroud looked haunting.

Had someone left her there? A kidnapping gone awry? Was somebody out looking for her? Why couldn't she remember anything?

As she stared, the branches rustled and swayed, almost ominously. Like long spindly fingers, reaching for her. The noises the wind made as it came through the forest sounded like dark whispers. The hair on the back of her neck raised.

Something about this place wasn't right.

She could feel it. Something in the air. She couldn't place it. It was like energy. The forest felt alive.

She took a step back.

The wind picked up, and the dead leaves swirled in its grasp. Those dark whispers sounded louder. The forest suddenly felt as if it was closing in on her.

Something's coming.

It spooked her. She spun quickly on her heel, glancing over her shoulder as she hurried in the opposite direction.

She didn't know where she was going, she was just moving. Fallen twigs snapped underneath her feet. Thorny vines cut at her arms as if reaching for her.

Her chest was heaving. Every harsh breath of cold air felt like knives in her lungs. But she dared not stop. She knew she had to run. To get away. There was a presence in this forest. It felt wrong.

As she ran, her eyes began playing tricks on her. She saw a shadow to her left, and she glanced to it quickly, but there was nothing there. Her pace quickened.

She was losing endurance quickly. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

Another shadowy figure, to her right this time, and her breath hitched as she looked. A vine snagged her foot and she tumbled forward—down a slope. She rolled her way to the bottom, hitting rocks and debris until she hit the bottom. Hard.

It took her a while to move. Her body felt beaten. She tried to curl in on herself. It immediately made her wince. She let out an " _…ahhh…_ " as she did.

She took a second to just breathe as she rolled out onto her back. It hurt to move. She stared up at the tops of the trees. The tall trunks looked as if they went up for miles. She could barely see the sky.

"…What is this place?" she muttered. "How did I get here?"

The wind blew again, rattled the leaves. It was the only answer she received.

"What's going on?" her voice hitched, sounded like a plea.

She didn't get to contemplate the question for long.

There was a shift in the space just in front of where she was lying. She let in a sharp breath. There was a presence.

She rolled carefully over onto her stomach. She tried to quiet her erratic breathing.

She tried to move, slowly, quietly.

There was a thud as something hit the ground just in front of her. She shook, but she didn't scream. It was like she was in a trance. She looked up slowly, and saw a gnarled set of feet. Talons were connected to the joints. They looked like what a human's feet might with claws instead of toes.

Shock kept her from feeling much. It was as if her mind wasn't making the connection that she might be in danger.

Her eyes traveled further up the humanoid body. Dark wings stretched out like a bat's while glimmering red eyes stared at her. Serrated teeth filled the creature's mouth as it opened. She stared at it. Caught in the trance.

" _ **Baldok is hungry**_."

Its voice was shrill, and the sound made her stutter. Her heart started to thud against her chest.

" _ **Baldok found prey**_ …"

It gave a crooked smile.

It was only when it let out a high pitch shriek that her body started to move. It reached out to grab her, or perhaps claw at her with its talons, but she rolled out of the way. She scrambled up onto her feet to run.

" _Help!_ " she yelled. Her legs felt like they were on fire. Her chest burned from exhaustion. " _Something's trying to kill me!_ "

She ran faster than before, ignoring the pricking of the vines and stray branches. She could feel its presence behind her. It was very close.

From behind her, or maybe from in front, she couldn't tell, she began to hear phantom, high-pitch laughter. The more it kept up, the louder it got, surrounded her. The presence she'd felt behind her now felt like it was everywhere. She looked around desperately, but didn't see anything.

" _Help!_ " she called out again, but it didn't seem like there was anyone else in this forest. No one except the thing that was chasing her.

As she ran, she stepped on a dead branch. Its jagged edge cut into the sole of her foot. She let out a startled cry before she ran into one of the many trees' thicker branches. The way it jutted out from the trunk made it seem as if had intended to stop her. That small moment of distraction was all it took. It hit her in the face, and for a moment her vision went white from the impact before she shut her eyes and it faded to black. She fell backwards onto the ground. Tears streamed from the corners of her scrunched eyes almost involuntarily.

There was more laughter. It sounded like it was just above her now. She felt her heart sink in her chest, give a thump from the exhilaration, but she found it hard to move. She might have a concussion.

" _ **Baldok likes it when they run.**_ "

She opened her eyes. There was a hazy silhouette above her.

" _ **Makes it more fun.**_ "

When her vision came into focus, she saw a toothy grin. She wanted to scream, but the creature moved faster than the sound could come from her throat.

In the blink of an eye, or maybe faster than that, it reached out to stab her. Right at her heart.

An immediate wave of pain enveloped her, but strangely, it didn't feel like a stab. It felt more like what it might feel like to be electrocuted.

The pain pulsed from her chest, and radiated out to the rest of her body. She gasped, and felt her back arch off the ground without control of it.

" _ **What?!**_ " she thought she heard the creature shriek. She screamed in agony with it. Felt her eyes roll back. All she saw was white.

And through the haze she noticed something. There was someone or something else in the forest now. It was hard to discern. She couldn't focus. Just knew it existed.

And suddenly, there was a wave of _something._ Heat? She didn't know how to describe it. A force? It lit up the forest with a brilliant blue light.

Whatever it was, as soon as it washed over her, the pain subsided.

It was the last thing she remembered before she fell unconscious.


	2. Realization

**Decided to edit this a little.**

* * *

When her eyes snapped open she breathed in deeply, so sharply it caused her to choke. It was a kind of frantic gasp that usually accompanies people close to drowning when they finally break the water's surface. It made her roll over onto her side to cough. Her eyes watered, but when her hands rose to wipe at the tears she found herself wincing. Her nose, cheeks, and eyes felt bruised. It took her a moment to regain her bearings. Mostly from the floundering and relentless panting. The moment she was able to breathe again without coughing was when she finally looked around.

She was in a room. A room made of old wooden walls and paper doors. She was lying on a futon, she realized. She sat up slowly, resting her elbows against the plush material beneath her to get her head upright. That's when she noticed she had been clothed in blue robes. The material fell around her softly. She raised a hand and ran her fingers over the fabric lying against her chest, confused. She looked back up with jerky movements to take another look around at her surroundings.

Fear enveloped her. Nothing looked familiar.

There was a nightstand close beside her. A closet on the far end of the room. One window was on the side of the wall where the futon was against. It let in a a warm glow against the floor. There wasn't much else in the room. It was mostly empty otherwise.

This clearly wasn't where she had been before.

The last thing she remembered, she had been in a forest. A dark forest, and a creature had been there. Something menacing and terrifying. It had tried to kill her, but she was saved. Someone else had been in the forest with them. Another creature? Maybe another person? Did that person bring her here?

Could someone have taken pity on her and given her shelter?

The fear abated slightly, but she still felt uneasy at being somewhere new.

Someone had to have brought her here.

Hopefully she hadn't been kidnapped. The thought was the next thing to jump in her mind. But, this was better than that forest, she supposed.

There had been something strange about that forest. Something sinister.

She thought about it, about the darkness that had seemed to lurk there. Now that it was on her mind, something about that forest had seemed… familiar. But that was strange. She was sure she hadn't recognized it the first time she had woken up there. But… yeah… she felt a weird sense of déjà vu.

What about that dark place could possibly be familiar to her? That _thing_ had tried to kill her. _It_ certainly hadn't recognized her. But the more she thought about it, it definitely felt familiar. Like an old friend. Maybe she had been there before?

Her head began to ache. She raised her hands to hold it, placing her head between her knees to quell the pain. She felt a measure of frustration.

Why couldn't she remember anything? It was just waking up, then the forest, then nothing. That was it.

"What's wrong with me?" she mumbled into the robe's fabric.

Unfortunately, no answers came to her. No more memories surfaced.

Perhaps now was not the time to get upset about her memory loss, however. She still didn't know where she was. She kept her head rested between her knees as she let out a sigh.

Being held captive was still a very real possibility. Just because she was brought here and given something to wear didn't mean she wasn't being kept here. She still didn't know whether or not this place was safe.

She lifted her head to examine herself. She looked at her bare wrists and rolled her free ankles beneath the comforter that had been placed on her while she slept.

She wasn't being restrained. Either the person who brought her here didn't mean her any harm or they simply felt confident enough that she wouldn't be able to escape. The second option didn't sit too well with her.

A sudden noise started to her left that she didn't immediately notice. Footsteps approaching the oriental paper door. It crept up on her while she was considering the possibility of whether or not she had been kidnapped.

Once she did notice, she jolted upright. Her head moved swiftly to the door where a shadow formed behind it. A dark, formless silhouette. She pushed herself into the corner of the wall and felt her heart beat start to race.

She could feel something.

There was a strange feeling she was getting from whoever or _whatever_ was behind that door. Something different. Something abnormal.

Something about it felt the same as the creepy forest. Something cold… something dark. She began to shake.

The silhouette of a hand reached for the door.

That feeling grew stronger. It was like being in the forest all over again. It felt like when that creature had been chasing her.

With trepidation, she watched the door slide open. Her heart gave a thump.

But as the door opened, what was behind it was not what she was expecting.

It revealed a young woman. A girl with greenish hair and cranberry colored eyes. She wore an elegant, light green kimono. A small, delicate girl with large, innocent eyes and pale skin. She felt her frantic heart beat begin to slow.

But even though it was just a girl, there was something about her that felt… decidedly different. Maybe it was her eyes. They sparkled in a beautiful, ethereal way. Like glistening gems at the bottom of a perilous sea. Or maybe it was her hair, that gleamed like delicate shards of ice that clung to a roof in winter. Or maybe even her expression, that seemed as gentle as freshly fallen snow.

Whatever it was, she found she couldn't quite place it. This girl was… beautiful. For a lack of a better way to describe it.

The girl noticed that she was awake. She was holding something in her pale, delicate hands. A plate full of food. The girl's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh! You're awake!" the otherworldly girl exclaimed. She shuffled forward, and once she did, a wave of chilly air picked up. "I hope I didn't disturb you."

Back on the futon, she raised her hands to rub at her arms when her skin broke out in goosebumps. Was the window open? The other girl didn't readily seem to notice the change in temperature.

"I brought you some breakfast. You've been sleeping for a little while now," the young woman told her. She watched as the girl placed the food down on the nightstand close to the futon. She did so slowly, perhaps so as not to frighten her with any sudden movements. She appreciated the action, but didn't voice it. She was still a little wary. Still didn't know what was happening.

The girl stepped away from the plate she placed on the nightstand. She folded her arms in front of her and gave a small, polite bow.

"I hope you like it," she said before straightening herself again.

She didn't respond to the strange, mystical girl. She really didn't know what to make of her. She didn't feel as panicked as she did before, at least, but she was still at a loss.

When she didn't speak, the girl seemed to deflate slightly.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," she began, her voice gentle and soothing. "I can leave if you'd like."

She didn't answer the girl. She just eyed her warily. She squinted at her, taking her in. Maybe sizing her up. When she didn't answer the cherry-eyed girl, the girl began to speak again.

"Are you feeling okay? I did my best to mend your wounds."

At the young woman's words, she looked down to examine herself. She did notice she didn't feel as bad as she probably should have. There weren't even any bandages. Just the pressure and some bruising of running into the tree branch.

"I hope it was enough to ease any pain you might be in."

The forlorn tone in the girl's voice almost made her feel guilty. She ended up speaking, if only to stop the sad look in those cherry-colored eyes.

"W-where are we?" she asked. Her voice felt raspy and weak. Probably from all the screaming she had done while running away from that creature.

It wouldn't hurt to ask. Maybe it was this girl who brought her here.

The girl seemed to quickly perk up when she was spoken to. Her immediate delight reminded her of a flower blooming in spring.

"This is Genkai's temple," the cherry-eyed girl said.

She felt confused by that.

"Genkai?"

The name sounded… somewhat familiar. Had she heard it somewhere before? Maybe not.

Cherry eyes nodded. "Yes, she brought you here after finding you unconscious in the forest. You were terribly scratched up. Nothing too serious," Cherry eyes continued.

She was at least relieved to know that her injuries hadn't been severe. And now she knew the name of the person who brought her here. She felt a little less anxious now.

Her next question came a bit easier now that she was feeling more comfortable in the young woman's presence.

"Who are you?"

Cherry eyes looked a little surprised by the question. She smiled after.

"My name is Yukina. Genkai is nice enough to let me stay here since I have nowhere else to go. She's very kind."

Yukina. It was a pretty name. It really seemed to suit the young woman in front of her.

"Did… Genkai find you in the forest too?" she asked. Yukina's smile was genuine as she shook her head.

"No. I'm not from around here."

She supposed that made sense. She wondered where someone like Yukina came from. Probably somewhere far away. Her features were quite exotic.

She became quiet after asking her questions. She couldn't think of anything else to ask.

She was grateful that she was somewhere so welcoming at least. Or… well… something told her this was a safe place. Intuition maybe? It was hard to say. No more memories were coming to her to prove that. It just felt okay.

She wasn't sure what to do now. The high from the fright now faded. She just felt lost. She stared down at her lap.

What was she supposed to do now? She still wasn't really sure where she was. And even if she did know, where would she go from here? Did she have any relatives? Was anyone looking for her right now?

When she was silent for a while, Yukina started to speak. She seemed to notice her discomfort.

"Where are you from?" the girl asked. Her tone was gentle.

She looked back up to Yukina, but when no answer came to her, she furrowed her brow and stared back down at her hands as if they somehow held the secrets that seemed so far out of her reach. She tried to focus. Tried to think really hard about that question. But it didn't help. No amount of concentration was bringing anything back. It was only when she noticed she hadn't answered Yukina's question that she finally spoke up.

"…I don't know."

Her voice was brittle. She felt a little useless. A little scared. When she looked back up to Yukina, she noticed the young woman was still smiling.

"Don't worry," Yukina began. "I'm sure Genkai wouldn't mind you staying here. Maybe we can help you remember."

At Yukina's words, she felt the sorrow lighten some. That was incredibly considerate of a stranger. She didn't even know her.

"That's kind of you," she said.

She felt some of the tension she had been feeling since she had woken up begin to ease.

Yukina looked pleased by her praise. The girl adopted a determined look on her face. She walked into the room to step closer to the futon she was sitting on. She was slow about it, like she was making sure she didn't startle her again.

She still felt a little uneasy, even if Yukina seemed so... kind. But… something about Yukina screamed good. Perhaps it was that intuition of hers again. Maybe it was just the gentleness in her eyes.

She still moved a little closer to the wall when the woman moved closer.

Yukina sat at the edge of the futon and rested her hands in her lap. She turned her determined gaze on her after.

"Do you remember anything? Maybe how you got into the forest?"

When she shook her head at Yukina's question, the mystical girl's determination deflated again. Her shoulders drooped a bit as she looked away, seemingly in thought. But it didn't last long this time.

"What about your family?" Yukina asked. "Do you remember anyone you used to know?"

She looked down at her lap. She tried to think. Of anything.

….

Nothing.

She shook her head.

When she looked back up to Yukina's hopeful face, she saw the pity in the young girl's expression.

"It's okay," Yukina said to her. "Maybe it'll just take some time."

Without really feeling it, she smiled, and nodded as if in agreement, even if she herself wasn't feeling all that hopeful right now.

But, it could be worse. Maybe she'd have more of those thoughts that had made her head hurt before. When she was in the forest. She vaguely remembered that laughter, the smiles. It was possible. Maybe she did just need some time. The thought gave her a little bit of comfort.

"Oh!"

Yukina's exclamation broke her out of her thoughts. She looked over to the girl in confusion.

Yukina's eyes were sparking as if she had stumbled upon something ingenious. "Your name! What's your name?" she asked.

The question caught her by surprise, and she did little to hide it. She ended up just staring instead of answering.

The words echoed in her mind on loop. Enough to lose their meaning.

Her name?

Name?

N-A-M-E?

There was a long, pregnant pause, so long Yukina began to look concerned.

She opened her mouth to speak, but when no words came out, she closed it.

What _was_ her name?

A pause, realization setting in.

"…I don't know."

* * *

 **AN:**

 **I'm still trying to figure out the best way to tell a story. I have a few ideas for this one, so I decided to fix it up a little bit.**


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